Any Enfield shooters here?
- Thread starter MJ1
- Start date
johnwilliamson062
Moderator
nice rifles. Where did you get the cheek rests? You make those yourself?
I have a nice one with the light beech stock like the lower one. Not a sniper. It is setting in it's khaki transit bag right now just because ammo is not so plentiful anymore. Besides cruddy old mixed lot green surplus or commercial loads $$$. Maybe if I were in some part of the empire there would be better lots of ammo floating around.
Funny rifle
People like them or they don't. With all the little things you have do adapt to with one make or another. I was caught or seduced by this silly rifle with a two part stock and rear lugs. I had to learn to hand load so I could shoot the thing. Thats a road you don't want to go down. First thing you know you will be buying Mosin Nagant's from N. Korea.
Look for help now. Don't let you self sink to buying French rifles.
Cheers
..MJ..
People like them or they don't. With all the little things you have do adapt to with one make or another. I was caught or seduced by this silly rifle with a two part stock and rear lugs. I had to learn to hand load so I could shoot the thing. Thats a road you don't want to go down. First thing you know you will be buying Mosin Nagant's from N. Korea.
Look for help now. Don't let you self sink to buying French rifles.
Cheers
..MJ..
Curtis(USAF)
New member
I have a Lee Enfield No4MK1 that I picked up a little while back. Its a little worn, but I still love it.
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Very nice rifles you have there. I have two Enfields a No4 and a no.1 mk 3*. I really like my mk3. It is a Lithgow rifle made in '42, issued in'43. It is in very good condition despite the small pieces of shrapnel embedded in the buttstock. I've pretty much given up firing mine since the surplus ammo dried up. I have a box of WW2 ammo but it's for display not for shooting.
Ooh, nice snipers!
I had to learn to reload to shoot mine also. My first Enfield, sort of, is a Model of 1917. It took awhile to figure out what to shoot in it bullet wt. wise. Then I got an Ishapore 2a and got into relaoding so I could shoot it; I researched the .308 vs. 7.62NATO and decided relaoding would be the thing to do.
Then, since I have a C&R lisence, I started looking on the auction sites, just to see. I next bought a 1943 BSA Shirley No.4 MkI and then a 1943 BSA No.4 MkI Maltby w/a pristine two groove barrel. Then I found a Fazakerly No.4 MkII w/a UF55 prefix, then a Longbranch No.4 Mk1/3 that looks like it was FTR'ed in India, Ishy screw, all matching and new looking, nice bore. And then my last one a PF50 Fazakerly No.4 MkII. The seller said it had a pitted bore(sigh), but it looked new and all matching. When it came in the mail I cleaned it. The bore had some pits and not much rifling near the muzzle. I scrubbed out the bore, oiled it and set it aside. A few months later I cleaned the bore again and set it aside. The next time I looked down the bore most of the pits were gone and the rifling looked pretty good, lucked out.
I have only been shooting and working up loads for the UF55 Faz and PF50 Faz I've shot some surplus ammo through. I have yet to take a moose with one of my .303's but more sooner than later I will.
Some day I am thinking of putting on a no-gunsmith scope mount on the Maltby and getting a replacement "sniper stock" for it. The two groove barrels were supposed to be fairly accurate.
I had to learn to reload to shoot mine also. My first Enfield, sort of, is a Model of 1917. It took awhile to figure out what to shoot in it bullet wt. wise. Then I got an Ishapore 2a and got into relaoding so I could shoot it; I researched the .308 vs. 7.62NATO and decided relaoding would be the thing to do.
Then, since I have a C&R lisence, I started looking on the auction sites, just to see. I next bought a 1943 BSA Shirley No.4 MkI and then a 1943 BSA No.4 MkI Maltby w/a pristine two groove barrel. Then I found a Fazakerly No.4 MkII w/a UF55 prefix, then a Longbranch No.4 Mk1/3 that looks like it was FTR'ed in India, Ishy screw, all matching and new looking, nice bore. And then my last one a PF50 Fazakerly No.4 MkII. The seller said it had a pitted bore(sigh), but it looked new and all matching. When it came in the mail I cleaned it. The bore had some pits and not much rifling near the muzzle. I scrubbed out the bore, oiled it and set it aside. A few months later I cleaned the bore again and set it aside. The next time I looked down the bore most of the pits were gone and the rifling looked pretty good, lucked out.
I have only been shooting and working up loads for the UF55 Faz and PF50 Faz I've shot some surplus ammo through. I have yet to take a moose with one of my .303's but more sooner than later I will.
Some day I am thinking of putting on a no-gunsmith scope mount on the Maltby and getting a replacement "sniper stock" for it. The two groove barrels were supposed to be fairly accurate.
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Enfields...
Sadly, I'm more an "owner" than a "shooter". I have a 1918-vintage BSA No.1Mk.III (not a III*, interestingly enough; as best I can gather, in the immediate postwar wind-down some rifles were actually made with the windage-adjustable rear, mag cut-off, and volley sights again,) and a very late production Fazakerly No.4Mk.II, one of the batch of "unissued" rifles that came into the country a few years back. I don't know it my Faz was actually "unissued", but it is definitely pristine.
Unfortunately, as a city-dweller, I get a lot more chance to shoot pistols than rifles, and I have yet to pull a trigger on either of these... well, I'm not sure I'd call Enfields "beauties", but you get the picture.
Sadly, I'm more an "owner" than a "shooter". I have a 1918-vintage BSA No.1Mk.III (not a III*, interestingly enough; as best I can gather, in the immediate postwar wind-down some rifles were actually made with the windage-adjustable rear, mag cut-off, and volley sights again,) and a very late production Fazakerly No.4Mk.II, one of the batch of "unissued" rifles that came into the country a few years back. I don't know it my Faz was actually "unissued", but it is definitely pristine.
Unfortunately, as a city-dweller, I get a lot more chance to shoot pistols than rifles, and I have yet to pull a trigger on either of these... well, I'm not sure I'd call Enfields "beauties", but you get the picture.
oldmaster111
New member
I have a nice #1 Mk 111. pretty old gal. I added a cheek rest also.
"...given up firing mine since the surplus ammo dried up..." The supplies of good milsurp .303 ball dried up long ago. Reloading fixes that.
Slug the bore(Lee-Enfield barrels can measure between .311" and .315" and still be considered ok. Over .315", the barrel is shot out) to find out what the actual diameter is, then use the closest diameter bullet. Most manufacturer's make .311" or .312" bullets. Steve at .303british.com is making .313" and .314" 200 grain jacketed bullets.
With any Lee-Enfield check the headspace.
Slug the bore(Lee-Enfield barrels can measure between .311" and .315" and still be considered ok. Over .315", the barrel is shot out) to find out what the actual diameter is, then use the closest diameter bullet. Most manufacturer's make .311" or .312" bullets. Steve at .303british.com is making .313" and .314" 200 grain jacketed bullets.
With any Lee-Enfield check the headspace.
Shooters, indeed!
I won't own 'em if I cannot shoot 'em.
1944-dated BSA No5Mk1:
1941-dated Aussie Lithgow NoIMkIII*, with Weaver K4 for Mrs. G-98:
1917-dated Enfield Lock NoIMkIII*, my favorite of the batch:
And remember kids, neck-sizing dies are the Bee's Knees for reloading .303 British!
I won't own 'em if I cannot shoot 'em.
1944-dated BSA No5Mk1:
1941-dated Aussie Lithgow NoIMkIII*, with Weaver K4 for Mrs. G-98:
1917-dated Enfield Lock NoIMkIII*, my favorite of the batch:
And remember kids, neck-sizing dies are the Bee's Knees for reloading .303 British!
tokarev762
New member
Gewehr98: That's a nice #5 you have there. I have one from Burma, dated Feb. of '44 from Frazackerly(sp?). The bore is shot out though. Bullets hit sideways at less than 15 yards. I'll either keep it as is or rebarrel it sometime. Maybe in a different caliber.
I like shooting my Ishey .308 with cast loads and want to start reloading for my #4,II* as it's such a shooter with new factory ammo. I picked up an Indian wire wrapped grenade rifle with the cup launcher & would like to make blank loads for it, but the bolt won't close on a round. Very nice rifle with a like new bore. I'll have to find some different bolt heads for it I guess.
I do have a 1945 Lithgow III*, but it's one of those Gibbs/Navy Arms 45/70 conversions.
I like shooting my Ishey .308 with cast loads and want to start reloading for my #4,II* as it's such a shooter with new factory ammo. I picked up an Indian wire wrapped grenade rifle with the cup launcher & would like to make blank loads for it, but the bolt won't close on a round. Very nice rifle with a like new bore. I'll have to find some different bolt heads for it I guess.
I do have a 1945 Lithgow III*, but it's one of those Gibbs/Navy Arms 45/70 conversions.
No. 4 Mk1
I am waiting on my first enfield in the mail, should be here next week.
Pics on the way gentlemen.
This gun has been my dream gun for a long time and when I can afford/find a good one a No. 5 will be next!
Have a good one!
How did you do those sniper conversions on the first post?
I am waiting on my first enfield in the mail, should be here next week.
Pics on the way gentlemen.
This gun has been my dream gun for a long time and when I can afford/find a good one a No. 5 will be next!
Have a good one!
How did you do those sniper conversions on the first post?